Fresh water pennate diatoms, light micrograph - Fotografia de stock

Dark field light micrograph (LM) of freshwater pennate diatoms. Diatoms represent about 25% of the plant biomass in the world. These microscopic unicellular plants are important biomass and oxygen producers. Through their photosynthesis, greenhouse gasses are converted to organic material and they therefore play a decisive role in the global carbon dioxide circulation. When individual cells die they remain as siliceous (silica dioxide) cell walls and sink to the bottom of the lake or ocean. Horizontal object size of this image section: 0.3 mm.